2nd attack, getting worried
Posted , 8 users are following.
I had an attack in October of 2017. Diagnosed by CT scan in ER after severe right sided pain (thought appendix). Did 10 days of Cipro and Flagyl, pain went away, seemed to heal well. I'm 34 years old and otherwise healthy. Had colonoscopy after flair was done with "multiple diverticula present in the ascending colon" (right side). I'm from US, where they say right sided DD is not common, especially being so young. The GI doctor said there is no proof that restricting anything from diet will prevent flares and stated it is rare to flare again, so I went about life. I had read on here back then that many people drastically cut out items. I cut back on nuts, seeds, popcorn and stuff, but didn't cut anything out completely. This past week, I started getting pains in the upper left side of my abdomen. It kept getting worse, spreading around my entire left side and into my back. I thought I had kidney stones or infection or something like that. Those tests were negative, so they did abdominal CT, found diverticulitis on the left side. There had not been any diverticula in the left side on my colonoscopy I had back in 1/2018. The CT also showed small nodule on my right lower lobe of my lung, I know - completely different story, but man, at 34, I feel like I'm falling apart! Has anyone experienced anything like this? I don't see that there is anything that can be done to prevent more diverticula from forming, I'm worried my entire colon is going to go bad at some point! I have another GI consult coming up in about a month. Started Cipro and Flagyl for 10 days again Thursday - pain is still pretty bad. Any advise - similar stories???
0 likes, 10 replies
lorid andrea98664
Posted
Did you start s liquid diet? Anytime you feel a flare coming on go ahead and do that.
rommon andrea98664
Posted
After two major attacks that were micro perfs that cause sepsis, they wanted to schedule a surgery to remove some colon (partial colectomy) that has the diverticula on it. My body couldn't make it that far and an abscess rupture like a septic hand grenade inside me and needed major emergency surgery for around 10 hours, woke up with a temporary colostomy and scars up my entire chest to avoid dying in the hospital.
Point being, I'd maybe talk with a surgeon about doing a proactive surgery since your in US, as you won't need colostomy and have much smaller scars.
Good luck!
Rhiannon_5000 rommon
Posted
I agree rommon. I would get on to surgery straight away. I too had an abscess.
andrea98664 rommon
Posted
I worry though, now it's not isolated to just one area to remove the "affected" area nicely. It's on the right and left side of my colon, so it's certainly not going to be an "easy" fix. And what the heck is causing them? If I had surgery and they just keep popping up! Ugh, thanks for the advise though. I'm a nurse, so I have plenty of medical knowledge, but little knowledge about DD (other than my own studying and reading some of the stories on this site).
rommon andrea98664
Posted
Yes I really implore you to consult a surgeon, mine started out as seemingly neutral, and my doctor / colonoscopy guy found more diverticula during the oscopy but said its not uncommon but usually in older people (I am early 30's).
4-5 months later I had another micro-perf that hospitalized me, then they found and abcess, then when I was trying to squeeze out a bowel movement (barely squeezing) I just felt my entire body just explode in pain where I fell off the toilet screaming.
They had to bring the x-ray equipment up 3 floors to confirm an abcess exploded, and it was emergency surgery time, with a very low chance of survival as my body was basically saturated in toxic waste (the mother of all sepsis attacks to survive).
I just can't stress enough how important it is to get this terrible disease cut out of you immediately, especially if it is spreading, you want to end that ASAP as those are all points of possible catastrophe!
Sorry to sound like an alarmist, but I don't want anyone to go through what I did, and possibly not survive it, as that would be a tragedy if it can be avoided. Best of luck to you and I hope you get that horrible stuff safely removed!
Guest andrea98664
Posted
My diverticulitis was also diagnosed with CT Scan with dye and have had more flares then I like to mention my is hard to treat because I am so sensitive and allergic to MOST antibotics ! I started before Bactrim and now can't even take that breaks me out in red blotches (I wanted to keep taking but pharmacy said the reaction could get worse) AND that blasted Flagy gives me tons of symptoms from jerking head to headaches to dizzy spells the list goes on ! I dont know what to do about mine. BUT I wanted to say that I have had a small nodule on my right lower lobe of my lung by CT Scan to been there since 1995 they finally said either talc powder or asbestos so I can either way it will turn to YOU know it scares me everyday. I am female and I use to use shower to shower powder everyday with my shower small bathroom and door closed of course you think it was snowing in there I HAD NO Ideal that it hade talc or that it was dangerous , my was worded exactly like yours small nodule on lower right lung lobe. SO with DD I have to worry and live a fearful life everyday with the C word. I guess because of that talc is like asbestos so i guess everyone that gets it on there lungs die I have way to much fear and panic to see if it turns to C word on everyone that gets a spot of it on their lung.. What did they say your module maybe from? I guess in my guess it never goes away 😃
andrea98664 Guest
Posted
I have not seen anyone other than ER doc for the lung issue yet. I will follow-up with my primary physician in the next couple of weeks. Would only guess that they will refer me to a pulmonary doc to come up with a plan. I would guess just scans every now and then to watch the growth?
SatinSoul0326 andrea98664
Posted
andrea98664 I'd suggested as well drink plenty of water I've been doing pretty darn good haven't had a flare of since about 2013. I try my best to eat right and none of what they suggest you not eat, here lately I've been cheating a little eating grits popcorn beans etc. Not suggesting that you do it but just take of yourself dear you're still young enjoy life and eat right.
Guest SatinSoul0326
Posted
This post was too SatinSoul
crosado8
andrea98664
Posted a moment ago
WOW NO flare since 2013 was you actually diagnosed with diverticulitis with ct scan/dye and blood work or just diverticula ? Please explain and also please share what you take and done that kept these Flares at bay. I was feeling kind of hopeless at times.
Guest andrea98664
Posted
WOW NO flare since 2013 was you actually diagnosed with diverticulitis with ct scan/dye and blood work or just diverticula ? Please explain and also please share what you take and done that kept these Flares at bay. I was feeling kind of hopeless at times.